‘It’s Been A Year Since His Demise’ – Late Sylvester Oromoni’s Dad Bemoans Delay In Coroner Inquest As His Son’s Body Still Lies In The Morgue
The father of late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, the deceased student of Dowen College Lekki, Lagos State, has frowned at the never-ending delay of the coroner inquest into the tragic and controversial death of his son on November 30, 2021.
In a statement released today, Mr Oromoni Snr said today, November 30, 2022, makes it exactly one year since his son died but has not been buried since as the body is still at the mortuary.
Oromoni Jnr died under controversial circumstances. Following the uproar caused by his death, the Lagos state government ordered a coroner inquest to unravel the cause of his death. The inquest commenced sitting on January 21, 2022 at the Magistrate Court, Epe (now Magistrate Court 20, Ogba) and is yet to be concluded.
In the statement released, the aggrieved father said that if the inquest is not concluded before the end of this year, he would be compelled to withdraw from it “in order to take a different legal step to seek justice.”
He noted with concern that the coroner inquest of the Ikoyi building collapse of 2021 where 52 persons died did not take this long before it was concluded. He added that the inquest on the Ojota Yoruba rally where one Miss Jumoke Oyeleke died had since been concluded.
The statement reads:
“Today, November 30, 2022 makes it a year since the demise of my son and the body is still in the morgue, yet to be buried. This one-year memorial being held today is to tell Nigerians and the entire world about the current position of the inquest and the antics of Dowen College.
I am equally aware that some civil society organisations and NGOs in Abuja and Lagos are equally observing the one-year memorial today to mark his one-year untimely demise.
May the soul of Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr.) and all departed souls rest in perfect peace. Amen.
At this point, I wish to call on the Honourable Coroner to please do the needful by urgently bringing the inquest to an end as Nigerians and the entire world are waiting for the dispensation of justice in this case as justice delayed, is justice denied.
This struggle is not only about my late son, but my own way of preventing the future occurrence of this tragic incident.
In the same vein, we equally urge the Lagos State Government, as a matter of urgency to charge Dowen College and all the staff who had earlier been recommended for prosecution in the DPP Advice of 30th day of December, 2021 to court.
Already, Dowen College has since the commencement of this Coroner put a lot of things in order in the school premises which were not available at the material time.
You may wish to know that the installation of CCTV cameras and a football pitch have been provided as against the former concrete basketball court which was being used.
I must state categorically that if this inquest is not concluded before the end of this year, I shall be compelled to withdraw from it in order to take a different legal step to seek justice.”
The coroner has adjourned proceedings twice after Dowen College failed to produce the two remaining witnesses from the school.